#granted the game existing means there IS a small chance

[t3chborb]

OW2 PVE has been axed completely, huh...

*sigh

I can't say I didn't see it coming to some extent, buuuut I still, perhaps foolishly, was holding onto hope that we'd get something. Nothing too grand, but still something. Cuz otherwise, 7 years of world building would be down the fucking drain.

Ha, ha, haaaa...

Honestly, live service games are the single worst possible medium to tell stories that exists. Fictional stories need an ending to be effective, but live service games want to run into perpetuality for that sweet sweet cash flow. If OW got a proper ending, how would Blizz keep shoving in new heroes? They would all have to be disconnected from the Talon/OW/Null Sector alignments because, well, where were those people when shit was going down? Yes, they could keep on making characters that are generally not connected to the main plot like Lifeweaver and Illari, people that just kind of exist in the world, but with a finished story they'd feel tacked on. Purposeless. And at that point what would keep lore and world building enthusiasts interested? All those casuals buying the precious virtual cosmetics? Gameplay, sure, but you cannot tell me all of them are playing the video game purely for the gameplay.

So while I can understand the reasoning behind the cancellation (as fucking shitty as capitalism is), and as inevitable as it was, it's still terrible after all of the teasing.

[quidell-fics]

Here's a snippet of my Black Myth: Wukong Fanfic! I have a lot of it outlined...the reason why the OC got sent (isekai lol) into the world, her purpose, the small changes her presence will bring about, as well as...the ending of the game. Everything in between, I'm still outlining, but here's a rough draft of the first beginning part of chapter 1.

Please note that this might change slightly when I finish the chapter and edit the crap out of it, haha. I'm also trying to get the tone down. Still not 100% sure how I want to write the OC.

Still trying to decide on a name for this fanfic 🤔

"This simply won't do. You're soul…” I was paralyzed, as if ice had seeped into my veins, numbing me without its familiar sting. The world around me blurred, lost to the creeping dread that curled around my thoughts. The voice that had shattered the silence dripped with venom, a dark melody of displeasure that echoed through the emptiness, leaving me hollow and unsure. "But perhaps this will suffice, though it seems even beyond my understanding.” He was close, his voice brushing against me like a whisper on the wind, yet I couldn’t see him. The darkness pressed in, so deep, so consuming, that it swallowed everything, leaving me stranded in its suffocating void.  “But this,” he said, and I felt something slip from my grasp, the only sensation in the endless void. It was something I hadn’t even realized I was holding, “must be set aside for now.” A pause. “I'll return it to you once you've aided,” another pause, this one heavy with contemplation, a silence that lingered like a held breath, “him on his journey. And if, in turn, he helps you... well, should that come to pass, everything will change. Truly change. And at long last, his wish will be fulfilled." His words drifted past me like smoke, their meaning lost in the haze of my confusion. I couldn’t piece together who he was talking about, or what any of it meant. But my mind clung to the last fragments of what I knew—my bakery, the comforting warmth that lingered as I retired to my room for the night. And then... then, the world slipped into nothingness. No. Not into nothingness, but into a descent, a slow, inevitable fall. Now, I had found myself suspended in this void, floating in an abyss where sound, other than this voice, was swallowed whole and movement was a distant memory. My voice was silenced, my limbs were bound by unseen chains, and the darkness stretched on, unbroken and all-consuming. But despite the emptiness pressing in on all sides, I was unnervingly calm. Hollow, yes—adrift in this sea of uncertainty—but calm, as if this strange, bleak serenity was the only thing keeping me tethered to whatever was left of myself. "Do not disappoint me, little one. You’ve been granted a rare chance, but if you falter, the cycle will continue unbroken, and Reincarnation will not grace an outsider such as yourself. You will be lost to the void, your existence erased. Do you grasp the gravity of this?” No. I really didn't. "If yes, then perhaps there's a glimmer of promise in you after all. But don’t grow too confident—the true trials are only just beginning.” And then, the darkness swallowed me whole, and in that suffocating void, it felt as though I truly ceased to exist, because I no longer knew anything.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Fairy Player Character Rules in Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy

Eureka has six playable "monster" types, and about ten total supernatural character options all together. Each supernatural trait is taken basically as if it is a normal trait like the ones you have been seeing us post. You cannot give a character more than one supernatural trait--and from what you are about to read, you probably wouldn't want to. Playing monsters is recommended for "advanced" players only, people who like a lot of "crunch" in their games, as require you to keep track of a lot more mechanics than playing a normal human.

Here is the Fairy Trait as it appears in its overhauled state which will be coming in the next release. The August itchio beta does not currently have these overhauled monster traits(though, you could just use this post as reference if you wanted to play with the overhauled fairy rules, we don't mind! They're much better rules and we want people to have the most fun possible!)

If you are reading this past about October 24th, then there is a good chance that the itchio beta actually has been updated to include these improved rules, fingers crossed!

Anyway here we go. This is going under a Read More because it's long as hell but we really hope that you will check it out and comment. This is, like, the whole entire ruleset for playing a fairy in Eureka.

Stay tuned for the overhauled Wolfman rules next week!

Fairy (Monster Trait) 

“Fairy” is a bit of a nebulous term, and has been used to describe all sorts of things which, thanks to modern fantasy literature, are now strictly sorted into all sorts of distinct categories such as elf, goblin, dwarf, fairy, pixie, etc. in our culture, when in the past when such legends were told, many of these words were just different regional names for the same or similar phenomenon in Northern Europe and the British Isles. Mysterious beings outside of normal society—and who may have an entirely separate society of their own—who live by a bizarre set of rules and are as likely to grant a boon as steal one’s child.

What a fairy can actually do is similarly often nebulous, though there are a small handful of through-lines which we extrapolate from. The modern categorization that most people would probably use for the fairy being described by these rules is “elf.” Pointed ears, magic powers, and a sense of superiority.

A fairy investigator could be born and raised as a fairy by fairies, or they may have been raised by humans as a changeling.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Unlike with the Changeling Trait, a character with the Fairy Trait is a respectable, fully capable fairy regardless of their origin. That does not mean, however, that they cannot fall into disgrace by means other than the circumstances of their birth.

The Fairy rules tackle some very different themes compared to most of the other supernatural character options, but, mechanically, certainly don’t fit anywhere but the Monster category.

A lot of a fairy’s powers hinge on them knowing someone’s “full true name.” What exactly is meant by a person’s “full true name” is a matter of discussion between player and Narrator, but as a general guideline, if a person is named Jeremy Matthew Jones IV, then “Jeremy Matthew Jones IV” is needed, and just “Jeremy Jones” or “Jeremy M. Jones” won’t be enough. Nicknames also do not generally count. A fairy cannot make their magic work by just guessing a person’s true name, they have to know the name with certainty. 

Spiriting Away

Sometimes, a fairy wants someone to just go away forever, and they do.

So long as the fairy is not debilitated by a weakness, can see and is within 5 feet of the target, and knows the target’s full true name[1], at the fairy’s whim the target appears to simply pop out of existence, or at least out of this existence. If done while time is being measured in Turns, this takes one Movement. This can be done without the fairy knowing the full true name of the target, but under these circumstances, the fairy must make voluntary skin-to-skin contact with the target.[3] There are a number of explanations and possibilities as to what happens to them or where they go,[2] but for the purposes of gameplay, it does not matter, because the ‘camera’ of the story will never follow them there. They are out of the Scene, and potentially out of the adventure entirely. There will be no Scenes exploring the fate of a spirited away character. 

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] What exactly is meant by a person’s “full true name” is a matter of discussion between player and Narrator.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] They may be transported to a sort of “pocket dimension,” transported to the “fairy world” if such a thing even exists, still technically present but unable to interact with the rest of reality, or perhaps all or none of the above. It depends on the whim of the fairy - and they may not even know!

[2.1. Off to the side in the final formatting] A thorough explanation of fairy society and where they come from would be far beyond the scope of an investigative TTRPG, any fairy’ll tell you that. 

[3 off to the side in the final formatting] “Voluntary” means that the target knowingly accepts the physical contact and does not do anything to resist it, or initiates physical contact themselves voluntarily. They do not have to be aware that the fairy is a fairy or that the fairy intends to spirit them away.

Spiriting Back

It is much easier to send someone away than to bring them back.[1] To return someone they have spirited away, when not debilitated by a weakness, the fairy must make a full Success on a Nature, Paperwork, Blacked Out, or Senses roll. Each Skill can only be used to attempt this once per fairy per victim, and each attempt costs the fairy 1 point of Composure. If another fairy knows both the full true name of the victim and the full true name of the fairy which spirited them away, they may do the same, but with a -2 modifier.[2] 

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] It’s possible that the fairy’s household may have changed the servant’s name to thwart efforts to retrieve them.

[2 off to the side in the final formatting] The return of a spirited away person does not need to happen at the same location where they were first spirited away.

Taking Names

When not debilitated by a weakness, a fairy can be “given” a mortal’s name voluntarily, though the mortal need not fully understand the situation coming to pass.[1][this sentence sucks help me rewrite it]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] This could be anything from a formal signed contract detailing the transfer, to giving one’s full name in response to the simple request of “Can I have your name?” It is up to the fairy if they actually want to take the name or not. Voluntarily handing over a physical nametag could potentially count as well, if the nametag has the full true name.

A person whose name has been taken by a fairy will perpetually forget their own name, and will not respond to it when called by it. The fairy must take the full name of the victim for this to work, and a fairy will quickly become aware if they do not have the full name.[1] 

[1     off to the side in the final formatting] A fairy does not have to take possession of someone’s name to use name-based magic such as curses or spiriting away on them, they just have to know the name.

Write the person’s full true name in the fairy’s inventory. 

A fairy can relinquish a person’s name and return it to them at any time, from any place.

A fairy can also take possession of a person’s voice in the same way. If a voice has been taken, the person missing their voice will be unable to speak, and the fairy in possession of it will be able to speak in the taken voice at will.

Using Names

So long as a person is missing their name, no name-related magics, such as curses or a fairy’s spiriting away, will be able to affect them. These magics will instead affect the fairy in possession of the name.

Spiriting away has no effect on a fairy regardless of the name.

If a curse is put on a fairy through any of the names in their possession, they may instantly transfer the curse to any name they possess, and send that name back to the original owner, along with the curse.

A fairy can *truthfully* answer with any name in their possession when asked their name.

The Gentry

When not debilitated by a weakness, fairies have a +3 Base bonus to Wealth. Their Wealth Skill Rating and any Wealth bonus they get from any other Traits will also always be considered Base. While this means that Composure will cap their Wealth Skill checks during the adventure, it will not cap their Wealth Skill during the Wealth Point Roll in character creation.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Some kind of joke about exchange rates. 

Fairies also seem to be able to pull things out of the most unlikely of locations sometimes. Add +2 to the Property Modifier of any home or vehicle owned by the fairy.

A backpack, purse, duffle bag, or similar personal storage device given to a fairy at character creation at a WP cost of 2 will be a little bit bigger on the inside than it looks like on the outside, and can be used to roll Wealth for items just as a home or vehicle could, with a Property Modifier of -3.[1][2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] This already accounts for their +2 Property Modifier bonus. It would be -5 otherwise.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] Maybe they could even cram a person in there with a bit of effort. If the fairy does try to cram an unwilling person into their purse or whatever, consider this to require a successful Hold. Regardless of compliance, this will deal 2 Superficial Damage.

Glamor

When not debilitated by a weakness, fairies appear supernaturally attractive and supernaturally well-groomed at just about all times. They have a +2 Base bonus to all Interpersonal Skills except Social Cues and Threaten.

A Keen Interest

Fairies gain +1 Investigation Point for any Investigative Roll that involves asking or otherwise inquiring about someone’s family history or personal identity.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] “Personal identity as in how a person would identify and think of themselves. This would not apply to a fairy asking “Who is the killer?”

Weather Affect

When not debilitated by a weakness, fairies can exert very minor influence over the weather in a localized region of about a mile radius around them for the duration of a Scene. They could not turn a hurricane into a sunny day, but they could turn a storm into a drizzle, a drizzle into a cloudy day (or vice versa). They could raise or lower the temperature by about ten degrees Fahrenheit, cause the fog to thicken or dissipate, part the clouds to allow sunlight or moonlight through, or help block it out, etc. 

With use of a Eureka! Point, the fairy can change the weather much more drastically, such as summoning a violent rainstorm out of nowhere, initiating a snap freeze or sudden thaw, or parting the clouds during a hurricane. 

With use of a Eureka! Point,[1] a fairy can extend the duration of the weather change to last for the whole day, and one day per Eureka! Point after. 

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This is a separate Eureka! Point usage from the above option of making the weather change more drastically, though they can be combined to make the drastically changed weather last longer. 

Poltergeist Activity

When not debilitated by a weakness, fairies have the ability to exert “poltergeist activity” in their general vicinity, such as within their line of sight or the building[1] they are in. This ability essentially causes chaos and unexplainable accidents. Equipment malfunctions, food mysteriously spoils, objects fall over or off shelves, people trip and drop things, unidentifiable banging may be heard, etc.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] The wing or floor of the building they are in, if it is an exceptionally large building.

For each use of this ability, the Narrator rolls 3 hidden D6s. For each 4 or above, something advantageous to the fairy will happen, and for each 3 or below, something disadvantageous or at best unhelpful to the fairy will happen. When deciding what happens, use the same logic as Woo Rolls. Whatever is the most obvious thing to happen happens.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Beware, use of this ability can have catastrophic consequences in places where people’s lives rely on the proper functioning of sensitive equipment or strict safety regulations, such as hospitals or construction sites.

Curses

So long as they are not debilitated by a weakness, by speaking the intended target’s full true name,[1][2] a fairy can place a terrible curse on an unsuspecting victim from anywhere in the world.

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] This must be done with intent to curse, it doesn’t just happen every time the fairy says someone’s name.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] What exactly is meant by a person’s “full true name” is a matter of discussion between player and Narrator.

Casting a curse requires a supernatural ability Composure roll.

Casting a curse takes one Movement. The curse takes effect immediately, and will last for 14 days by default before wearing off completely. As the curse is cast, roll 1D12+1+[Relevant Skill]. Which Skill is used will vary depending on the curse. The result is the number of days by which the fairy may extend or reduce the curse's duration. If the result is a negative number, reduce the fairy’s Composure by the same amount. A fairy may use the Focus Eureka! Point ability to add an additional 1D12 to this roll and drop the lowest die.

If a curse is reduced to a duration of “0 days,” it will only take effect for the duration of a single Scene. 

Fairies may place curses upon themselves if they so desire. 

A second curse placed upon the same target will extend its duration, but only the effect of one type of curse can apply at once.

Effects of Fairy Curses

Each curse has a different Skill associated with it. 

Curse of Transformation

This curse uses the Nature Skill. The target will be spontaneously transformed into an animal of the fairy’s preference.[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Their clothes don’t transform with them.

The fairy must make a Full Success on a Nature roll to choose an animal that is not on the following list.

Cat

Frog

Mouse

Newt

Pig

Rat

Toad

Wolf[1]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] For the stats of a wolf, see p.xx “Werewolf”. The rest of these do not have official stats, but we expect you to be able to figure out what they would be good and bad at.

The target will maintain a functional degree of human intelligence while in this form, at least for some time. Once their human mind is lost, the curse cannot be removed, and will never revert after any amount of time. The curse will also never revert if the target dies while transformed.

For an NPC, the Narrator rolls a hidden 1D6+3. This is how many days the target will retain their humanity.

For an investigator, the Narrator rolls a hidden 1D6. After this number of days, if the transformed investigator ever reaches 0 Composure, their humanity will be lost.

Curse of Reduction

This curse uses the Visual Calculus Skill. The target will be spontaneously reduced to between 5% and 10% of their original size.[1][2]

[1 off to the side in the final formatting] Their clothes and items may or may not shrink with them, at the caster’s preference.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] For a 72” person, that would be between 3.6” and 7.2”.

If the target dies while shrunken, the curse will never revert.

Curse of Petrification

This curse uses the Chemistry Skill. The target, including their clothes, will be spontaneously turned to stone. At the preference of the caster, they may or may not retain awareness of their surroundings. If kept aware, they will lose 2 Composure per day, and if unaware, 1 Composure per day, until they are effectively dead, at which point the curse cannot be reverted.[1] If the curse is reverted, either by it wearing off before the point of no return, or being broken, any damage the target sustained as a statue will immediately take effect. For example, chips in their stone body become lacerations in their living body. If an arm was broken off of the statue, their arm is now severed. If the statue suffers fatal damage, the curse will not be able to be reverted. If unaware, then reverting the curse will feel like waking up from a long and restless sleep. The target does not need to eat or sleep so long as they are petrified.

[1 off to the ads in the final formatting] For NPCs, consider them to have 1D6+1 Composure to lose before it starts to eat into their Superficial HP.

Curse of Slumber

This curse uses the Medicine Skill. The next time they fall asleep, the victim will fall into a coma-like state for the duration of the curse. The target will lose 1 Composure per day until the curse either reverts or they die.[1] Unlike with petrification, the body must breathe and be fed during this time.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] For NPCs, consider them to have 1D6+1 Composure to lose before it starts to eat into their Superficial HP.

Curse of Death

This curse uses the Blacked Out Skill. The target begins to take 2 Superficial Damage each day for the duration of the curse or until they die, and will be unable to regain HP or Composure through sleep. In addition, apply a -3 modifier to all their rolls.

Breaking a Curse

There are a number of ways for a fairy to break a curse. If the ailment is not immediately identifiable as a curse, a Full Success on any Knowledge Skill check by a fairy will positively identify whether it is or not. 

The death of the curse’s caster will not remove the curse, and fairies cannot simply lift their own curses at will. 

To lift any curse, the fairy must know the full true name of the victim, and must make a Full Success on a Nature, Paperwork, Blacked Out, or Senses roll with a -2 modifier. Each Skill can only be used to attempt this once per fairy per curse, and each attempt costs the fairy 1 point of Composure.

True Love’s Kiss

A kiss can sometimes be all it takes to lift a curse, and it doesn’t even have to be a kiss from a fairy. The Narrator rolls a hidden D6 once the victim has been kissed. On a 7, the curse will be broken by the kiss. If it fails, another kiss from the same person will not work either.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting.] Morgie’s kisses always lift curses.

Add +1 to the roll if the kisser truly loves the victim.

Add +1 to the roll if the kisser is female.

Add +1 to the roll if the kisser is of noble or royal lineage, or is a fairy.

Mage Power

Every fairy has one Mage Power by default. A fairy may have any number of additional Mage Powers, but for each additional Mage Power, increase the number of Investigation Points required for the fairy to gain a Eureka! Point by one.

Fairies can only make use of these powers when not debilitated by a weakness.

Misc. Fairy Features

Every fairy character must have one or more of the following features.[1][2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] The expectations placed upon a fairy has affected them, whether directly or through rebellion.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] In many cases “what happens to fairies who aren’t cut out for the thing they’re prescribed at birth” and “why is this fairy hanging out with a bunch of humans” have the same answer. Other times, fairies just might want to unwind in a world where the stakes are lower and their riches higher.

[2.1. Off to the side in the final formatting] It’s only humans.

Pointed Ears

It is said that fairies with pointed ears are always eavesdropping on others’ conversations and internalizing their secrets, but who isn’t? This is the most common feature among all fairies.+2 Contextual bonus to Senses rolls involving hearing.[1]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] These ears are articulate, and their position will often betray a fairy’s mood.

Antlers/Horns

It is said that fairies with antlers or horns are stubborn to a fault and should never be trusted with nuanced decision making, but are very fit for positions of authority.

The fairy is considered to be wearing a helmet when struck with bludgeoning weapons.

Irregularly Shaped Pupils

Some say that fairies with eyes like these eyes can gain very brief glimpses into the immediate future. That’s not how it works, but there is something going on. The fairy has a +1 Contextual bonus to Reflexes and Visual Calculus.

Tapetum Lucidum

The fairy’s eyes will reflect light and appear to shine in darkness. They are not affected by low-light conditions, unless the environment is completely lightless.

Unusual Number of Teeth

Fairies with unusual rows of teeth are thought to be liars.

Glowing Skin

At all times, the fairy’s skin emits a very faint glow and may even sparkle.[1] Apply a -2 penalty to Stealth in any darkened area. At will, the fairy may intensify this glow enough to dimly light a dark room.[2]

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] This may be colored or white light.

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] It’s said that these fairies always want to be the center of attention, but what fairy doesn’t?

Furry Legs and Hooves

The fairy’s legs are more like those of a goat or deer than a human’s. Any sort of kick from these hooves can deal Penetrative Damage. Fairies born with these qualities are thought to grow up to be sexual deviants.

Wings

The fairy has large insect-like wings on their back, such as resembling a butterfly or dragonfly. So long as these wings are uncovered, the fairy may fly and hover freely, in such a way that does not seem to actually be directly related to the intensity by of the wing beats, as long as they are able to spread out and flap.[1] When flying, the fairy has +5 Acceleration. 

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] Fairies with wings such as these are thought to be flaky and noncommittal.

Marked Skin

The fairy has elaborate markings across at least a third of the surface area of their entire body, which could be passed off as regular tattoos to the untrained eye. Add +1 to all Composure rolls made by the fairy for non-skill supernatural ability usage. 

Short Temper, Long Grudges (Fairy True Nature)

Fairies are able to regain Composure Points from restful sleep, and will take Flat Composure Damage if they do not sleep. Fairies will take Flat Composure Damage as normal for skipping meals, but do not regain Composure Points for eating three meals a day. 

Fairies are known for their short tempers, long grudges, and difficulty letting things slide. Fairies must have “Disrespect” at some rank on their Tiers of Fear.[2] This Composure roll is made when the fairy is slighted, insulted, intruded upon, ignored, or otherwise disrespected by others, whether disrespect was the intent or not.[1] If the one disrespecting the fairy is a changeling, always consider this an exacerbating factor.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] A fairy might even consider accidental disrespect to be worse. To think that they weren’t even thinking about how rude that would come off…

[2. Off to the side in the final formatting] Lying to a fairy, expecting them to lie, or accusing them of lying, is considered disrespectful. In this case, make it a Lying Composure Roll (see below), but all the same rules regarding Composure loss and restoration apply.

Keep track of how much Composure was lost as a result of a Disrespect Composure roll. If at any point the fairy enacts disproportionate revenge upon the person who slighted them, then this revenge will restore the amount of Composure that was lost +1. If the act of revenge results in permanent or otherwise life-altering consequences for the victim, then the revenge will restore double the amount of Composure that was lost.

Trickster 

Pranking, humiliating, or otherwise “whimsically” exerting power over mortals will also restore a fairy’s Composure.[1] If the effects are temporary, this restores 1 Composure. If the effects are permanent or otherwise life-altering, this restores 2 Composure. Double these values if the target is a changeling.

[1. Off to the side in the final formatting] How well can a fairy establish a relationship with someone they have been raised to look down on so pointedly?

Exchange

Where fairies come from, nothing is given freely, and if no one else is going to name the price, they will. Fairies must have “Debt Discrepancy” somewhere on their Tiers of Fear.

If a fairy accepts aid, or accepts something given, they must provide something in exchange, or else they must make this Composure roll. If the other party does not name a price, then anything will do, even a smile.

If the fairy’s aid or possessions are accepted or taken by another person, and the other party does not name a price, the fairy must decide upon something that they are owed, and do everything in their power to ensure that this price is paid, or else they must make this Composure roll. The fairy also has a +1 Contextual bonus to any Skill check which will directly result in collecting on this debt. The price they name may be anywhere from something as inconsequential as a single penny, to eternal servitude.

Honest to a Fault (Fairy Weakness)

Segue? 

Lived Under a Rock, or Maybe a Mushroom

Whether the “fairy world” is actually real or not, fairies certainly seem to come from a different world. Fairies have a -1 penalty to all Investigative Rolls using Knowledge Skills.

Cannot Lie

Fairies must have “Lying” somewhere on their Tiers of Fear. If a fairy tells a lie, they must make this Composure roll, but lies of omission or statements that are technically true but phrased in a misleading way do not count. Additionally, if a fairy learns that they have been lied to, or otherwise does not believe what they are told, they make this Composure roll.

Fairies have a -2 penalty to Social Cues.

Iron

Iron, and alloys of iron, will irritate a fairy’s skin on contact, often causing an itchy rash.

Iron, but not steel or other alloys, will also render a fairy powerless so long as it is in physical contact with their body, giving them a -2 to all rolls, and debilitating them. This will not undo any curses or spiriting aways that have already been enacted.

Their Own Name

A fairy’s full true name is perhaps their greatest weakness. If a fairy’s full true name is spoken to them with intent, the fairy will be debilitated for the remainder of the Scene. This must be the fairy’s own name, not one they have taken from someone else. This will break any ongoing curses by the fairy that have not already become permanent, but will not return any spirited away people.

[roachliquid]

I love the part where Laios starts talking about chimerical (animal mashup) creatures. Because he is absolutely right. Animals have so many good qualities, and one of the easiest (and silliest) ways to have fun with them is to take two or more regular animals and combine them into A Monster(TM).

Don't get me wrong, there's no One True Approach when it comes to monster design. But I generally prefer the ones that play around with existing lifeforms. Turning an animal or plant into a proper monster is a great opportunity to highlight its existing features, or to explore what might happen if it faced and had to adapt to different evolutionary pressures. A well-designed monster is a love letter to its inspirations, showcasing both the power and uniqueness of creatures that we might normally take for granted.

To that end, I like any kind of monster that takes brazen inspiration from nature. The more obvious the better! Subnautica, a game that I keep playing despite suffering from moderate to severe thalassophobia, is a great example. It takes place on an alien world, and there are plenty of animals with purely bizarre and whimsical traits, but every so often I see something - some small detail in their design or behavior - that I recognize. In that moment, I'm taken to a place of both familiarity and discovery, where I remember that the beauty of nature is not only breathtaking, but a constant. As long as there is life, there will be new and wonderful creatures, and chances are very good some of those creatures will resemble manatees.

But when monsters get even more obvious than that, putting together body parts from different animals, I don't just get to admire nature. I get to admire those specific animals, and particularly those specific features, while experiencing the transformative power of having them Frankensteined together in ways that are unnatural yet functional. A figurative chimera is a powerful product of creation, a discordant harmony made from the bones of old chords, a transmutation of the safe and familiar into something new, and absurd, and yet thriving.

Not everything that lives has to make sense ex nihilo, springing fully formed and coherent from the force of evolutionary pressure. Sometimes we fail to find ourselves anywhere in our environment, and we have to craft ourselves piece by piece into something that's never been seen before. Sometimes people have scars and parts that don't fit, and some of us were made under Frankenstein's knife, but all of us are alive and here and if we don't embrace the absurd, who will? If we can't say "Actually, I think the ancients were on to something when they made a winged centaur with a scorpion tail", where else are we supposed to find joy? In the meticulous and flawless?

And I mean, above and beyond all that, sometimes creatures made out of disparate animal parts look really cool.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

I want to hear about your Postcanon Primo Aporia AU with the twins 👁️👁️

BATTING MY EYELASHES... ABSOLUTELY TOUCHED AND HONORED when folks are interested in the bonkers little AUs im always cooking up..thank you ;_; this one especially is rly dear to me, it's starting to grow into quite the, Project. slash pos

here's some notes and rambles about what the fuck's going on in my 5Ds Postcanon Au That's Grown Deeply Out of Hand/Rinascita AU/if i ever write something about it will give it a proper name BUT

"Rinascita" is Italian for 'rebirth' or 'revival'.... "Primo Rinascita" (name I've been calling this AU's Primoporia) plays off of "Primo Reprisa" (Primo Recovery/post ripped in half rebuilt Primo) :^)

the tl;dr I've touched upon with this AU is it's really just born from "what if Leo tried to salvage some of Aporia's mechanisms to bring him back after all the Ark Cradle chaos, but the hardware is so damaged only a third of it can be rebooted, so now Primo has to be alive again whether he wants to be or not"...there's a couple other defining Canon Divergences in here too though!!

Namely the twins elect to Stay in New Domino with Yusei rather than go live with their parents like they do in canon, partially because of the Secret Robot Harddrive(s) Leo has been sitting on for the last six months, and also partially because Fuck the Twins' Parents All My Homies Hate the Twin's Parents THEY ALREADY GOT A DAD!!! HIS NAME IS YUSEI FUDO!!!!

(but also Akiza drops out of medical school to come back to NDC and really buckle down on pursuing turbo dueling professionally... good god let the girl RIDE A MOTORCYCLE!)

Anyway, Primo in this AU is.. Mostly Primo but yeah he is also Aporia too, he has all of Aporia's memories (and fainter, more dreamlike recollections of Lester and Jakob's memories) and for a solid while Leo especially Treats him Like Aporia Primarily, which makes Primo EXTREMELY agitated!! What do you do when your memories both are yours and aren't yours, what do you do when you're a copy of a copy of a copy, what do you do the things 'you've' done are making you feel a whole lot different towards the people you so violently tried to destroy when you were last alive and it's making you feel WEIRD!!!!

he's just going through it. a lot. He has no mission he has no god he was supposed to be able to REST. and now Team 5D's is letting him stay in their garage like some kind of charity case!!

Primo eventually gets uploaded into a Ghost body Yusei and the twins recovered from a Satellite dump (it sucks <3 one eye doesnt work <333) but I think he can also partially exist in some other technology (possibly Leo's Duel Disc and the Yusei Go.... Aporia really did just like throw his whole halo into Yusei's bike and granted it flight there is DEFINITELY Apo Data in that thing's system.)

"You remember how in Homestuck, um, Bec Noir had that instinct to always protect Jade because he was partially her dog?? That's Primo in this AU, with the twins." The Aporia in him's protective instinct is logged the fuck IN

god there's just. A Lot. it's all fun and games until the little AU suddenly has a timeline and themes and. duels. and related OCs. I need to draw them but there's a small faction of scrappers that specialize in recovering the 258939285 stupidass Ghost robots Primo unleashed on the city and getting all the good tech and metal outta them. They'd like to get the tech and metal outta Primo too :)

really it's this sort of character study AU about what happens when a living weapon is allowed true and real free will, whatit means to really be a person, and about Primo coming to terms with this chance to be who He wants to be, not simply what he was created to be, and this nature of who he is vs. who Aporia was vs. who exists at the overlap of those points. Aporia may be dead but he is haunting that fuckin narrativeee his claws are all over everythinggg and it's giving Primo Gender Feelings that he DOESNT HAVE TIME TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW!!!! *the looming Postcanon Gender He/They Experience lurks behind him like a phantom*

there was even slowburn yuseiprimo qpr maneuvers. smiles.

LORD THAT'S A LOT SORRY and that's really just me sputtering some basic stuff off the top of my head...there is. a Lot going on. Didnt even get into the guardian angel symbolism and how Z-one slots into all this and the. um. entire fan duel monsters card archetype im cooking for Luna out in this thing. tl;dr This Rehabilitated Pit Bull Has a New Lease on Life and It's Stressing Them The Fuck Out But They'll Be Ok.i believe in Primo's innate big brother instinct and you can too. i like him SOO MUCH

[idv-ask-the-showman]

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls, Welcome one and all to tonight show~ I am your friendly neighbour Showman, Phineas. oh, just what a truly haunting pleasure it is to see all your spirited faces gathered here tonight!! I stand before you to celebrate, announce, and embrace the arrival of the spine-tingling month of October!!”

“And we all knows what that means~ the air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and the pumpkin spice is flowing. It's that time of year when the mischievous spirits come out to play and Halloween lurks just around the cobweb-covered corner. Yes, honey, it's time to release your inner witch, wizard, vampire, or even a gloriously goofy ghost!”

“In this magical month of October, the world transforms into a whimsical wonderland of frightful delights. It's the time when the veil between realms becomes as thin as spider silk, granting us a chance to embrace our wildest imaginations.”

“And we are here tonight to make sure that during this frightful and spooOOOOooky~ month, you would have the most fun you could have ever dream of!! Heheh~”

╬╬═════════════╬╬

//okay I made a small drawings ideas list for you all to use for fun during this month, is not long or a lot but is the best I could do tbh. You do not have to do them in order or as fast as possible, you can just pick what fit your fancy and have fun!!

{DRAW YOUR OCs}

Getting ready for Halloween

Carving a pumpkin

Going to a simple Halloween party

Going/giving trick or treating

Splash art for their costume (like in genshin)

Scary movies night

Playing a horror game

Waking up from a nightmare

Halloween masquerade ball

Dressing up as their favourite horror movie character

Let them sing their favourite children rhythm but in a more of a scary tone.

Dancing underneath the blood moon

Got cursed by a witch (your choice what the curse is)

Exploring a real hunted house

Day of the dead

Dress as their friend/family member

Doing one of those 3am scary challenges (Bloody Mary, ouija)

Be a menace to society and watch or already set the Christmas decorations and movies mid October >:3

Visit a graveyard, why not?

Doing a devilish ritual to summon an ancient evil deity… with the besties!!

Getting drunk in a party

Hiding a DEAD BODY.

╬╬═════════════╬╬

{OCs Asks}

1. If your OC had to choose between being a vampire, werewolf, or witch,etc. which one would they pick and why?

2. What would be your OC's favorite Halloween candy or treat? Would they have any unusual cravings?

3. Does your OC have any unique Halloween traditions or rituals that they follow each year?

4. If your OC hosted a Halloween party, what would be the theme and how would they decorate the venue?

5. What is your OC's opinion on scary movies? Do they love them or avoid them at all costs?

6. If your OC were to go trick-or-treating, who would they go with?

7. Has your OC ever encountered a real ghost, monster, or other supernatural entity during Halloween? What happened?

8. Describe a memorable Halloween adventure or misadventure that your OC has had in the past.

9. Is your OC the type to play pranks on Halloween night, or do they prefer a more peaceful approach to the holiday?

10. How would your OC react if Halloween forever been cancelled?

11. Does your OC believe in the existence of creatures like witches, vampires, or werewolves? Why or why not?

12. How does your OC feel about carving pumpkins? Do they enjoy the process or do they find it messy and tedious?

13. If your OC were to create a spell for a Halloween potion, what kind of magical effects would it have?

14. Has your OC ever attended a Halloween masquerade ball? If so, what kind of costume did they wear and how did they feel about the event?

15. What kind of supernatural abilities or powers does your OC possess, and how do they utilize them during the Halloween season?

16. How was your OC first Halloween like? And if they didn’t celebrate it in the past as a kid, tell us why?

17. Dose your OC like the month of October?

18. What type of person your OC is during Halloween?

19. How likely that your OC would befriend Jack Skellington?

20. Would your OC be the type to older a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks just because is October even tho they may not like it?

╬╬═════════════╬╬

[cassiesdevblog]

Dual Purpose Design in...

Hey all! I've been working on something I can't show you yet, but I've been thinking a lot about the design of one of my existing games!

I'm a big fan of dual purpose design and I try to pull it off where possible! I think it's cool for something to have both a downside and an upside. It can mean players will have to make lots of decisions, but it can also just add an interesting texture to a game! Or, if one mechanic has multiple uses, a game can feel more intuitive and "complete," because it makes the most out of every little thing!

If you've not played Pyo, there's a gameplay video on the store page to give you the gist, because I'm about to talk about a bunch of instances of dual purpose design in it!

Beans!

Much like in Bird & Beans (Pyo's inspiration!), the beans in Pyo are both a hazard and a prize. They're responsible for the destruction of the ground you stand on, but they're also how you score points, how you build and maintain big combos, and how you stay in the air. They can even save you from the very holes in the ground that they create, or help you bounce up to @bisthefairy so you can repair the ground. They're not good or evil, they're just beans!

Because of this dual purpose design, beans were super difficult to balance. If there were too few beans, protecting the ground would be a trivial task and big combos would be impossible to build, but if there were too many beans, it wouldn't be challenging to keep up a big combo, and it would be so easy to stay in the air that you'd never lose the game even after the whole ground was lost. Keeping this balance even as the game speeds up was really tricky!

By the way, beyond just being extra destructive, bombeans solve an important problem! If not for them, you could leave the game running forever and slowly rack up a huge score without even touching the controller

The dive!!

Margie's dive is absolutely loaded with purpose. It's so central to Pyo that it puts Margie's jump to shame. A real virgin vs the chad situation if you ask me

The dive was originally a double jump, but I quickly realized more horizontal control was sorely needed. It's a quick burst of lateral speed to get you over to the next bean, but it's also a way of turning around quickly. Margie's acceleration is very slow to accentuate this. The dive can also delay your fall, because it sets your vertical speed very slightly upward

Of course, it also leads to another important mechanic: the bonk! Diving into a wall will make Margie bounce up and away from it, giving you a little height, letting you stay in the air longer, and giving you a chance to double back in case you dove over or under a bean and missed it. It can even save you if you fall into a pit! It's a lot like a wall jump, but more streamlined, and it solves the problem of one sided wall jumping since you use up your dive in order to bonk.

The dive also leads to the game's most important subtle mechanic: The skid! If you touch the ground while diving, you'll skid off it without losing your combo, getting a very small bounce that affords a little bit more distance so you can bonk or grab a bean and keep your combo going

So, beyond filling several important roles on its own, the dive leads to two more extremely important and useful mechanics!

Ground!!!

For how many mechanics center around it, the ground can feel like an underused aspect of the game. Because the game is all about staying off the ground to get big combos, it's easy to undervalue it, but don't take it for granted!

You're able to drop blocks anywhere to mould the ground however you want it, and there are a few ways to strategically take advantage of this! Blocks jutting out of the ground can be bonked off of to keep a combo alive. The skid is your friend in this situation! It makes it much easier to hit the side of a single block without landing on the ground

Ironically, even a hole in the ground has its uses. You can actually fall pretty far into a pit without losing the game, and you can take advantage of this to chase green beans down into the abyss or bonk into the side of a pit to keep a combo going. That's a pretty sick trick I do a few times in the video on the store page! Block hitboxes actually extend down below the screen to make this easier!

(As a sidenote, this is actually why bombeans blast Margie up into the air if she gets too close when they explode. I kept dying by instinctually trying to chase them into pits even though they go away when they touch the bottom of the screen. Oops!!)

Damb!! That's a whole lotta DPD!!!

It permeates all throughout the game! Bis drops blocks but they also bounce you to help you keep your combo going! The stripes make the game look more interesting, but they also show at a glance where it's safe to land and where you should drop blocks to fill pits. The stomp lets you fall quickly to catch beans before they hit the ground, but stomping into the ground will also make Bis drop her block (at the cost of your combo!) I couldn't talk about Pyo's design without mentioning how many roles everything fills!

By the way, I think the term "dual purpose design" was coined in this GMTK video:

Thanks for reading :))

[cuddlytogas]

Hope you’re enjoying season two of ofmd so far!

I’m asking #11 and #34 for the fanfiction writers ask game. :)

I AM ENJOYING IT IMMEASURABLY AND INEXPRESSIBLY, YES, THANK YOU <333

11: Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

ooh, a good question. i mean, taking a look at my ao3 history (and a not inconsiderable amount of my original work...), I'd probably say, like, complex emotional realities/vulnerability, mundane obstacles, and growth? and the messy space where they exist together. just thinking about, like, hold fast, happy ending, making home, terrible things, closure, good officer... fuck it, even chancellors and changes of heart XD they're all about, to some extent or another, people making it through the everyday, learning to forgive themselves and each other, learning to be vulnerable, choosing happiness and love...

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

ah shit, this one's HARD. uhhhhhh.........

tell you what, I AM still really fond of the floral fantasy sequence from Making Home!

Now, Dika, weave the aniseed together, flower and stem, With your soft hands, crown yourself with a lovely diadem Because the blessed Graces grant gifts to the garlanded And snub the worshipper with no flowers on her head. He closes his eyes after perhaps the fifth mental recitation, and savours the memory of Jon’s hands against the side of his face, affixing a little yellow flower in his hair — the blessed Graces grant gifts to the garlanded. He wishes he could lay wreaths upon Jon, crown and adorn him to invite every blessing upon him. He imagines roses and columbines, sprays of lilacs and pansies, and heavy bushels of wisteria; petals and leaves, flower and stem, adorning Jon’s hair, tucked behind his ears or draped over his brow in coronets, braided into the strands when it was still long and glorious, looped around his neck, over his shoulders, down to his hands. He wants to festoon Jon with beauty, until he understands just how gorgeous and cherished he is, until the Graces (whoever they are) finally grant him something that isn’t pain, or suffering, or horror. Martin would kiss him like that, with every drop of tenderness he could squeeze from his heart amidst the heavy, drowsy perfume of the flowers, drowning in their power as much as he would in Jon’s lips, sweeter than any nectar. He imagines Jon tasting of rosewater or lavender tea, unwound and happy for once instead of his awfully familiar stress, strain, and terror. “Everything all right, Martin?” Martin trips out of his reverie, eyes snapping open to the sight of Jon returning from the loo, soft, small, and frail in the doorway to the bedroom, but still determinedly present. Any sacrifice must surely be worth that fact — be worth the open chance to garland him with aniseed.

[heniareth]

for the codex prompts, i'd also like to request for the delightfully crabby ilanlas either 10 (a description of your OC by someone who hates them) or 11 (your OC’s description of their game’s events)

10. a description of your OC by someone who hates them

A letter, written in a meticulous script, as if the author had all the time in the world to write it, sitting on the Inquisitor's desk at Skyhold.

Inquisitor,

The Grey Wardens continue to exist, and I will not reopen that discussion again. I would appreciate it, however, if they would conclude their business at Skyhold as soon as possible and leave. Their commander is insufferable: arrogant, equal parts sensitive and insensitive, quick to anger, impatient, impertinent, with questions asked in bad faith and with the insistence of a petulant child; the list goes on. For a man of such small stature and such catastrophic failure in preventing the bloodshed of his own comrades, he holds himself like the highest and mightiest around. I will not stand it. Either he goes or I do. I would appreciate a swift answer on the matter so I will be spared further suffering of this irritating creature.

-- Solas

In a margin of the letter, someone has scribbled down notes:

Mythal have mercy.

- Check with advisors how soon next excursion is scheduled. Take Solas

- OR send Grey Wardens and/or Solas to do field work

- Talk to Leliana; third complaint this week.

- Check how soon we can proceed with judgement + add some days for the Wardens to pack

11. your OC’s description of their game’s events

Prologue to the memories of the Grey Warden Ilanlas Mahariel, formerly hunter of clan Sabrae, recorded by Keeper Marethari and Merrill, then First of clan Sabrae, during his recovery in Denerim after the slaying of the Archdemon.

"I can feel the Blight receding with the darkspawn. It grew gradually, and only know do I notice how much strength it had gained. It is good that we finished the job. A few days more and we would have been crushed.

This year has been strange. It has taken me places I would never have visited; it has made me speak to people I would never have spoken to. Ferelden contains more than I thought, and there is more outside of it than I would have dreamed. Shems, however, are still pigs.

I suppose there are some notable exceptions to the latter, but not many.

My drive during this year has been to find Tamlen; I can admit this freely now, and also admit to my failure. I was only granted a chance to end his suffering. Vengeance must be enacted, and yet I find myself empty. Elgar'nan enaste I will find that fire again.

One thing I know: I will remain a Grey Warden. The order must be rebuilt. There are two more archdemons out there, and when they come, we must be ready. Above all, let our people know this: the Blights are not over. More will come. And we will need every ounce of strength we have to push them back.

Even if this means fighting alongside shems."

Some crabbiness for you!! I hope it was to your satisfaction XD XD XD I must say, I had a bit of a rough time pinpointing how Ilanlas would describe this year. It doesn't help that he's not someone who'd write things down a lot (or, Creators forbid, keep a diary). He might be more inclined to use things he's seen and experienced in his travels as inspiration for his woodcarving and other artistic pursuits. Maybe I should try my hand at that at some point. It could be fun!

And about Solas... Solas would just despise Ilanlas. He can't with him. Ilanlas would get on every single one of his nerves, accidentally and on purpose. At first I wrote something else, but then I thought of Solas and just had to put it in.

...

You know what? I'll tack the first thing I wrote on here:

A public notice of the style the Dalish use at their Arlathvens, found among the posessions of Ilanas Mahariel. It is old and frail; the corners are starting to fall apart. The text, however, is still readable:

"The thief has been caught in the act. He is small, about six years of age, with shoulder length auburn hair and white, tanned skin. He wore clothes of the southern clans. If the child steps forward to apologize, his punishment will be reduced. He has until nightfall to do so. Any adult who knows this child, please relay the message to him in case he cannot read. Let him also know that clan Briathos is severely displeased with his actions. Let his apology relfect that."

Under the message, in scrawny and evidently angry handwriting, is the following response:

I am 10 and I can read!!!

(Nevermind that these kinds of things would probably be communicated verbally XD)

And there we have our crabby boy. I love him to bits and I'm glad you enjoy him too. Thank you very much for the asks and have a lovely day!!

[squeakyfir]

I'm your huckleberry (Tombstone 1993) (Doc Holliday)

Description:

The joys of modern inventions and miracles are often taken for granted. Your hungry or thirsty? Get something from the fridge or make it. You need to go somewhere? Drive or call an uber. Your hurt? Go to the doctor.

Your bored? Watch a movie, play video games, watch videos on the internet, talk to people without ever leaving your house.

Some much time is in our hands... but back in the 19th century... you wouldn't last very long.

Diseases are rampant, gun violence is higher, no modern technology, barely any good medicine, almost all of your favorite food doesn't exist and most of the people are rude as hell. But... That doesn't mean all of them were so bad. Love was not something most people in this time really cared about. At least, in the town of Tombstone, Arizona.

After falling asleep with a nice looking stone you bought at a small stand at the carnival, your whole world becomes the opposite. Six people from the past discover you unconscious and alone in the blistering heat and offer help but it was their help that let you meet the most amazing man you've ever met.

John Henry "Doc" Holliday.

Chapter 17

Previous ~ Next

After some time, you were all riding to the next place but something was seen off in the distance. It was a bunch of riders and it was hard to tell if they were cowboys so McMasters took out his eyeglass to get a better look. "Ringo and Behan are out in front. There's about thirty of 'em. They're all wearing badges".

"Christ" Wyatt said under his breath, knowing that he and the others didn't stand a chance if they attacked. You were mounted on Sylvie and next to Doc and Wyatt when you heard Doc coughing again and when you looked over, his mouth was covered in blood. You gasped and when Wyatt looked over and saw what you saw, he quickly got off his horse and went to his side, just in time to catch him from falling off his horse. You quickly got off Sylvie and went to his side to. He was unconscious. "What do we do" you asked.

"We need a place to hole up. I'll check our map and see what's nearby" Wyatt said as he stood up to do said task, leaving you by Docs side. Luckily, there was a place nearby called "Hooker Ranch" owned by a man named Henry Hooker. After getting Doc back up on his horse and Wyatt taking the reins of Docs horse so Doc wouldn't have to control the horse, you all rode off to the ranch. After the short ride to the ranch, three man came out to speak to you all. "Is this "Henry Hooker's Ranch"" Wyatt asked.

"That's right. And I'm Hooker".

"We got a sick man and our horses are done in" Wyatt replied, hoping that Hooker would allow him and you all to hole up for the time being. "Put him up at my place" Hooker replied, "As long as it's just tonight".

"We're indebt to ya". Hooker turned his horse around and led you all to his house. After tying the horses to the posts and helping Doc into Hooker's bed, it was made clear just how messed he was getting. "I know you boys and lady have got to keep movin', but he looks pretty bad to me" Hooker said. Doc was struggling to breathe and was shaking badly. You sat down beside him and heard the others leave the room but Wyatt stood and observed Doc for a moment. Just then, the sound of more horses were heard approaching the house and Hooker went to see who it was.

After Doc managed to finally get some sleep, you took a look out the window and saw none other than Josephine and her fellow actors. "Hey Wyatt" you said annoyingly to get his attention, "Your girlfriend's outside".

"What" he laughed as he came over and saw Josephine. He went outside and Hooker informed them that, "They got held up, and their boss actor got killed. They came here to water their horses, then they'll push on". Wyatt looked over and both he and Josephine locked eyes. They were happy to see each other again. You were listening in on their conversation and couldn't help but smile at this. "I'm sorry about your friend" Wyatt said, "And I'm-- I'm sorry that I--"

"I forgave you the moment you said it" Josephine replied with a smile.

"You did? Well... thank you".

"All set" McMasters said to Josephine. "I have to go" Josephine said after redirecting her attention back to Wyatt. As she took a couple steps towards the stagecoach, Wyatt stopped her. "Wait". She looked back at him but none of them said a word but the looks in their eyes said a thousand words. Wyatt loved Josephine, there was no denying that and it was also undeniable that Josephine loved Wyatt. None of them uttered another word as Josephine got back into the stagecoach and continued to look at Wyatt. As the stagecoach rode off further and further away, the distance between him and Josephine was very difficult to stomach.

Wyatt came back inside and saw that Doc was still asleep and you were still beside him. "I need some air" you said standing up. You and Wyatt went back outside and could hear that McMasters was about to head out, much to the disapproval of the others but McMasters had no fear. As he rode off, you had a gut wrenching feeling that something bad was about going happen but nothing escaped past your lips. You and Wyatt sat with the others and just focused on what the next move would be. It was obvious that Johnny Ringo had to die but who would do it was the biggest question.

Doc is too sick and that was the biggest problem at the moment. Hooker could see how difficult this all was and was generous enough to let you all stay longer, which made you bomb rush him in a hug, which he was completely unprepared for, but he still accepted it. As Wyatt watched you hug Hooker, it made him remember how you were when he and his brothers and wives discovered you. Clueless but knowledgeable, funny but serious, innocent and not so innocent. He, his brothers and Doc have certainly molded you into a completely different woman but that one second of purity and love made Wyatt remember his promise and made him see that even though you're not from this time, you still hold a special place in his heart and even in Doc's heart.

[zablionsea]

Volts! How to earn them!

Enhancing your monsters and rolling the Z-Box, both very important functions of Puzzle & Dragons Z that require D-Volts. With most monsters granting absolutely pathetic amounts of Volts, how do you get as much as you need for your gacha addiction or power up frenzy?

I’m here to give some various methods to earn Volts through many points in the game, from main game to post game. Let’s go!

Daily Dungeons/Daily Runes

Once per day, your father by the shrine gives out special daily runes that can be used to access daily dungeons. The weekday dungeons are for elemental evolution chips, the chips available depending on the difficulty you select. On weekends, which is our focus, there are Mythlit/Dub-mythlit dungeons, which grant you a bunch of volts compared to normal dungeons, especially on the higher difficulties.

If you want to take on the higher difficulties, I recommend either a mono-Light team with a light ATK bonus leader or using one of the monsters with good multpliers (Ra; Garuda; Great Valkyrie; Forest God, Baphomeroth) but I understand those monsters are hard to obtain. Gamble Mage is another good multiplier option too (3x at 7 combo) but it can be hard to achieve without a time stopper like ChronoTurtle/ChronoGenbu. Be careful of the damage dealt, it can kill pretty easily on high difficulties if you’re not careful.

Pros:

- Can grant large amounts of Volts per dungeon, especially on higher difficulties.

- Bonus chests in level can really add onto that too if you get super lucky with the dungeon map.

Cons:

- You have to collect and hoard runes for this to be effective, meaning you cannot play the weekday dungeons much.

- If clock changing/time travel used to get runes back to back in one day, said time travel can mess up other time based games that punish time changes like Animal Crossing New Leaf or Pokémon. Be aware of that risk if it exists for you.

Skydragon Temples

It’s likely not a super effective method, but I will mention this anyway due to its early and easy accessibility. After the first time you beat a Skydragon (you get a Skydragon Jewel), you have a small chance of getting 10,000 Volts per Skydragon kill plus a possibility of running into Mythlit in the dungeon. If you want to take this route, I recommend leading with a Precious Metal or Jewel Dragon (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, Metal) depending on the Skydragon’s element. Horai is the easiest to beat, so he’s probably the best option. If you want to farm for runes and get Volts, then El Dorado is a good option too.

Pros: - Accessible in the early game.

Cons: - Unreliable

- Slow due to unreliability

- Ineffective

- Relies on the possession of a Treasure Hunter lead skill dragon, especially the King versions, which the Kings aren’t available until later in the game.

Z-Box Only Monster/Mythlit Including Dungeons

Aside from the Mythlit evolution line and boss Volt drops, Z-Box only monsters (Naga, Mermaid, Dryad, Valkyrie, Succubus, Moh-Moh, ChronoTurtle, and their evolutions) drop the most Volts out of most monsters and even have a chance to drop Volt cubes. From the looks of it, the ChronoTurtle line is the one you will encounter most often and will tend to drop more Volts than the Dragonoids, at least in my experience. Mythlit areas often appear more in certain dungeons for more Volts or with Dub-mythlit, so it’s good to play those ones a lot too.

Recommended Locations (the lower down the list, the more Volts generally granted):

Elysium - Ladama Wastes

Elysium - Requiem Cave - Requiem Altar

Shangri-La - Caracal Ice Sheet - The Everfrost Lands

Avalon - Swamp of the Dead - Eternal Marshlands

POST GAME

Helheim - Earth Dragon King’s Dark Gate - Citadel of Darkness

Muspelheim - Earth Dragon King’s Blazing Gate - Citadel of Fire (one of the best and my go to)

Niflheim - Earth Dragon King’s Flowing Gate - Barracks of Water/Citadel of Water (another go to for me)

Yggdrasil - Earth Dragon King’s Tree Gate - Barracks of Wood

Pros: - Very reliable

- Does not require the use of Daily Runes

Cons:

- Average to low efficiency

- Can be time-consuming depending on the map

POST GAME - Golden Land Eden

Now, this option is only viable right towards the end of the post game or past it, but let’s get into it for those, like me at the moment, who want to farm right before the Z-Box requirement goes from 7,000 to 8,000. Red and gold treasure chests spawn on the final map, giving either 10,000; 50,000; or 99,999 Volts. Keep resetting the map until you get one, and for the sake of speed, I advise you lose/leave the dungeon right after getting the Volts.

Pros:

- High output

- Does not require the use of Daily Runes

- Very efficient when you get lucky

Cons:

- Unreliable

- Bad luck can cost a fair bit of time.

- High difficulty (you can easily lose before even getting to the treasure chest due to the strong monsters in the dungeon, even with an excellent team)

Mitzi’s Thoughts

I might as well mention what I tend to use: a mix of the methods. Before going into Avalon’s final level, I continuously grinded off the Swamp of the Dead for Volts to get some stuff done. I wasn’t really concerned about Volts much before then. Before getting to the Eden area in post game, I tended to use the Blazing Gate when Mythlit spawned in. After realizing what I could get in Eden’s final level though, I rely on that.

However, I supplement with the Daily Runes on weekends as much as possible, especially since I no longer need them for evolution material.

I hope this advice helps people who play this game and struggle with this!

[hiriajuu-suffering]

Too Honest A-Kon Review

A-Kon is notorious for blacklisting people, so I might never get to panel there after I applied this year and posting this, but after what I experienced, I never had a chance anyways.

I'll be fair: I have bias against A-Kon as a Houstonian from all the predatory practices they had towards any Texas convention before they got too big to fail. Now that A-Kon IS too big to fail, the complacency in the culture of the convention is appalling to me - even with this being my first A-Kon it was way too apparent.

Matsuri's, Ikki, and Momo's reasons for rejecting my panel(s) were based on puritanical image-conscious bullshit that just shows their ownership is old, behind the times, and will defend mononormativity being a convention in the American South until their dying breaths: simple enough to explain and reason away. While I don't understand their short-mindedness, I understand it's a component of prejudices existing in Southern social standards, of which hold familial structure conformity way higher than anywhere else in the West.

A-Kon's reasons, however, are based on a content ponzi. There were only two types of non-direct educational affiliate programming that were approved: panel hosts that had direct prior social connection with the programming team or a lecturer affiliated with the FANS Conference - Fandom and Neomedia Studies company, whom A-Kon directly sponsors and is essentially in control over. If you're reading this and not getting why this is so bad: FANS Conference requires a $75 initial membership fee to be part of their organization to which they force you to give your resume and show you're qualified enough to present panels at an anime convention (usually meaning having an M.A. or PhD) or they deny your application to become a member [yes, that means you paid this group $75 to be told you're not educated enough for them], an unidentified shadow committee determines the worthiness of your content of which you sign away all your rights to present freely at non-affiliated conventions if they determine the panel to be unworthy, and they make all your scheduling decisions at any affiliated conventions for you. Bottom line, it's a glorified ponzi scheme by the programming team to extort money out of panelists with anything at all to say. From what I witnessed, the FANS Conference panels were extremely interesting content areas but were so limited in scope and haphazardly presented, they might as well have been not saying at all. The deterioration in programming content and taking programming creators for granted is the largest contributing factor as to why A-Kon has always given me a bad vibe. But it isn't the only reason.

An annual event guaranteed to move 25k+ in gross pass count should seek the largest venue in its metro area, regardless how much more ownership might have to pay in venue fees or logistics. A-Kon never should've been in Irving: no insult to the venue, but it is not big enough for A-Kon to fill out as robust of a schedule as it needs to meet the needs of such a large draw. For a convention of its size: too few panel rooms, too small of a gaming space, too little room for independent artists and vendors, a pathetically small and isolated main stage. A-Kon being at anything less than the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center is an insult to every attendee just for the sake of ownership frugality. I stand by that claim, and many individuals that used to contribute significantly to A-Kon feel the same.

Above all, the lack of organization at A-Kon is legendary, and even though the disappointment I felt was slightly milder than I expected, it was still far greater than any convention I have ever worked with: including WeebCon, including even Anime Matsuri and Ikkicon. After three decades of doing this, the ownership ought to have no excuses as to why they can't figure things out. From what I've witnessed, ownership makes it impossible to do better by the community. Why did I give it chance this year, knowing everything I know?

This angel showed up to perform. Not as the convention's first choice, mind you, but if Konomi Suzuki is performing within driving distance of me - I. will. not. miss. it. She absolutely killed it as the opener, and her set is my current best moment of all of 2023 for me. Her energy, her swag, her crowd work, she's part of a mold of J-idols that represents the best of J-Pop for me. She's one of the few people I hardly know anything about but I would support to the ends of the Earth if I could. After her set, she's definitely starting to slowly dominate my playlists more-and-more. As she should, she's my princess of J-Pop.

The one redeeming thing about A-Kon is something they happened upon by chance, by knowing the right people, as they seem to always just get lucky in doing so by proxy of being a really freaking old convention. Steeped in the tradition of mediocrity, mired by a lack of innovation. This is why Anime Frontier, the far inferior event naturally by what it is and does (a corporate shill), surpassed A-Kon in scale and success so easily.

Someone needs to give me a reason A-Kon 2024 could be worth going to. I very little optimism I will ever be part of programming there because I'm not part of their nepotistic, elitist circle-jerk, so I need a real reason to go back. Just like I needed to have with Matsuri, albeit I'll still feel let down unless I'm at least a panelist there too.

I hate that our convention scene in Texas is so sad. San Japan is the only convention that truly shines and it's not spotless either. Our 18+ event leadership is fragmented. Being at ACen showed me some problems down here are impacting everyone, but there are so many things Texas conventions are so bad at and it's entirely self-inflicted from incompetence. The list of Texas conventions I believe can get some of that magic back, but they're all so new it's tough to say if any of them will actually get there.

I put so much of my heart back into the anime convention community this past year for how much it helped me stay alive when I was at my lowest. All I have left is to focus on myself until I pick up some optimism again. In the meantime, as always, look out for my panels this summer season. Spring season had a lot of lows but some really high-highs. Progress for myself, both socially and professionally is all I need to take a lot of these obstacles in stride. But damn, it would sure as hell help if the biggest convention in Texas set a decent example.

[ravencromwell]

Thinking about this answer thanks to the flood of Atabei feels in Rue The Day. From the moment you'd answered my world-building ask about the bounds of compulsion, I'd had this crawling dread of what it heralded (in fact a version of this reblog has been sitting in my drafts unfinished for ages because I'm a gadfly essentially saying wait, but then did she *willingly* for Eliza? and fuck, never been so sad to be right.)

It must have been hideous paradox. Knowing you should let Gilly do his worst. As he says, without the siren his life would be short and brutish and he could enact so vastly less harm on others. But to also know you're just. not. brave enough to carve your heart out. That to cling to the fragile threads of sanctuary a monster grants, you'll let the rest of the world burn. Hating yourself. hating him but knowing that truth is as stark and unchanging as granite. (After all, isn't it a microcosm of what so many have done, turning a blind eye and quieting their conscience in the face of despotic rulers for a chance at normalcy?)

Which makes it matter all the more that she visited the siren, still tried offering what comfort and fellow feeling was possible; he might make her do monstrous things in service of Eliza and herself, but she would not let him strip her of compassion within those constraints.

And Eliza: I have to wonder how much of Eliza's realizations on that ship, amid the horror of how this man had *wrecked* the life. the child. *everything* she and Atabei had worked to build. was understanding herself as ultimate pawn to control her wife. Jumping as the last form of autonomy in an impossible situation: desperately hoping that by depriving Gilly of the power of her existence, she could set the wheels in motion for Atabei to make this madness cease. Didn't work, but she's still the bravest. most clear-eyed of everyone in that first cycle, imho.

God it just. means so fucking much to me that the focal points of this story are two queer women and that Kira will be the one to set her queer foremother's mistake to rights. That the "ghosts" of Eliza's house, and the strangely vivid portrait may have been doing what they could in finite ways across the centuries. That, on a broader scale, throughout the centuries, it has consistently! been Gilly's wives mitigating his awfulness by their small acts of revolution, even (and especially!) if those revolutions were domestic: Ford's mother protecting her children, instilling them with enough morals Ford understands Gilly's monstrousness and will go out of his comfort zone to help the siren. But not just! his wives; so many of the overlooked domestics, nameless Nadette's, holding onto slivers of themselves long enough to bring some spark of decency in to that hellhouse even if it seemed pointless in the moment. I am _certain it's those women who are just faces in a gallery determinedly throwing wrenches into this privileged sexist bastard's spanner, along with Areyto's own defiances, making it so that even now he's throwing mud at the wall still trying to be king instead of the "worse" of my compulsion ask already. (All your fans have their "Ash tales they wish were a book" but for my money it's Bones all the way. just so we could have those narrative style interludes you'd put in the video game: the ephemera of those women's lives, all buying enough time that Kira could face a man: still unbelievably dangerous. but *defeatable*. But then, I've low-key been hoping Kira discovers the primer she took as childish nonsense was some sort of coded journal for ages :).

1/ 2I need to talk about the perfect tragedy that is Atabei. Atabei who met this little boy that wouldn't kill the piglets! Who embraced the black girl with her magic and superstitions! And then _wouldn't _realize until it was too late that boy had changed. It didn't matter if it was the privation he'd experienced, or if there was this seed of awfulness always in him, didn't even matter if some part of him was guilty about it. She loved him so much for who he was before and what they'd shared

2/3 that love—one of the strongest forces for good—blinded her into doing great evil and I'm verklempt. I have no idea if the "ghosts" Ford mentions will play a role, or even if we'll learn *why* Eliza eventually "fell" (though I hope like hell some of Sirene's descendants play a role because her eight-year-old put-down of Guilford was the best fucking line so far I adore that child to pieces) Sure, she'd done some questionable shit—though considering abusive husband of Eliza I approve--,

3/3 and it would've been so easy to make her as resentful as Guilford, but that the hamartia of her doom was wrongly bestowed kindness is visceral and raw and perfect. God, sorry that got so long my epitaph will be 'thought nothing worth penning were it not verbose'

-

First off, sorry I didn't answer this right away. I have been mentally rereading and kicking my feet and giggling.

Secondly!

NEVER feel bad about sending long asks about Bones in the Ocean. Or any asks! That story, its world, its concepts and the types of magic, the rules... it's all taken over my brain and I am almost always desperate to just ramble endlessly about the characters and histories, especially the aspects that aren't part of the main storyline but are instead the added context around the edges of it.

Gilly always had a seed of potential awful in him, but Atabei was actually a good influence on his willingness to empathize with nonhuman creatures, because SHE did. Atabei's empathy did not extend overmuch to actual human beings, though. Even less so when it came to her love Eliza's abusive husband, who stood between the two of them and happiness and kept Eliza in a life of constant fear for herself and her daughter.

Decades later, Eliza gets far enough away from Gilly and the siren to remember herself, and to remember the daughter she left behind - she assumes to die, alone and unloved - and she 'falls' over the side of the ship. It's polite language. Everyone knows, deep down, what really happened. Especially Atabei, who never fully forgot herself, and went more than a little mad as a result of the guilt and shame and fear that overwhelmed her when Eliza was gone.

Atabei's tragedy is in aiding and abetting the evil that would ruin her life, turn her love Eliza into someone else entirely, and leave her knowing what had been done but utterly unable to speak of it, to do anything at all to stem the tide of Gilly's ambition. She used her magic when commanded, to paint the marks again, to rebuild the bars of her own cage, really.

I have thoughts on that time period, those years of her watching Gilly's children with Eliza growing up. I think she probably visited the siren, on occasion. She and Areyto probably came, at some point, to a sort of bitter understanding with each other. Each of them trapped, each of them captive and caged and knowing it, each of them used as a tool in Gilly's plans.

If this story were a video game, there would be diaries or half-erased letters stained with tears throughout the house, Atabei telling the story of her own long, dreary life, the bright spots with Eliza, the darkness that was so much stronger.

Watching her childhood friend grow into a more violent man with age and power - especially with the corruption of his slowly growing power. Watching him murder his own eldest son to take his place.

Watching the cycle start anew with the next generation, knowing even her death would not end this, as she aged but Gilly didn't.

She gave a man she cared deeply for functional immortality and far too much power.

-

But - know this - Sirene is instrumental, too, to the eventual end of Gilly's grand ambitions.

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Monster!AU: How Yuu Arrived into Twisted Wonderland

Hello everyone! So this will be the prelude to how Yuu’s and mini!Yuu’s arrival in the Monster version of Twisted Wonderland, or at least get an overview of how it went down without going full “prologue rewrite” since this is supposed to be a fun and silly comfort AU. After this, you guys are free to ask questions and add silly ideas and I’ll add to it!

In another post, I’ll be going over each of the dorms or--if you’re just as excited as I am--feel free to inquire about anyone you’re really curious about!

For now, please enjoy!

-----------------------------

[Yuu’s Arrival into Twisted Wonderland]

Yuu’s arrival into Twisted Wonderland started out almost the same way as it did in the game, only…it becomes more obvious that they’re in another world when they get chased around by a fire-breathing chimera and rescued by a crow-like harpy man. Their robes concealed most of their features, so it wasn’t obvious to anyone that they weren’t a monster like them. The Mirror Chamber was filled with all manner of mythical creatures and cryptids, though some were tricky to make out under their own robes: centaurs, sphinx, satyr, naga—was that a kraken?!

It wasn’t until Yuu went before the Dark Mirror that it was revealed they were not only magicless, but were human—a species that hadn’t been seen in Twisted Wonderland “since the time of the Great Seven” as it said.

After a disaster in which Grim set fire to the venue and the Dark Mirror being unable to locate their home, it becomes quite clear to everyone that Yuu was indeed not a monster and—by all accounts—was the last of their kind in Twisted Wonderland’s existence. What were they supposed to do? Kicking them to the curb was out of the question.

“I cannot even begin to imagine the tragic fate that awaits you if cruel hearted monsters were to harm such a rare creature for their own selfish gain,” Crowley had said, along with mumbles of ‘bad press’ if word got out.

And so for the time being, Yuu (and Grim) were temporarily placed in Ramshackle for the night until a plan of action could be discussed in the morning. Like any other form of gossip, however, word quickly spread of Yuu’s arrival and offers from research institutions came pouring in for a chance to study them. Rather than caving to the demands though, Crowley refused to hand them over.

“The Dark Mirror called their soul to this world, and as the mirror’s owners, this school is responsible for their safety and well-being no matter their species.”

Eventually an agreement was reached by both parties. In exchange for periodic examinations and reports on behavioral patterns, the school will be given a grant to build a suitable habitat, meet dietary and health needs (whether mental, physical, or emotional), and ensuring proper measures are taken to prolong their lifespan. This means that Yuu will be well taken care of as a “critically endangered species”. In a world full of magic and a school of delinquent teenage monsters though, this will be easier said than done. In order to survive the chaos, Yuu will have to master three important skills that these students are ill prepared for:

Affectionate hugs, pets, and most importantly—scritchies!

 -----------------------------

[Mini!Yuu’s Arrival into Twisted Wonderland]

Tonight was supposed to be a normal entrance ceremony at Night Raven College. With all but one coffin opened and each new student had been sorted, it was looking like there wouldn’t be any disruptions like last year. So, the moment Crowley unlocked the final Gate expecting to see a teenager clad in their ceremonial robes, it was quite the shock when instead—a small child tangled in the cloth fell to the floor with a squeak.

A small child who—upon realizing they were surrounded by scary-looking adults—began to cry.

“D-Don’t cry, little one. Don’t cry!” Crowley said, looking flustered as he tried to soothe them. “There, there, no need to cry! Shh…oh goodness, this is a disaster! What is a child doing in the Gate?!”

In response to his frantic panicking, the toddler began wailing so loud that several students and dorm leaders had to cover their ears. “Will someone shut that brat up?” Leona grumbled with a growl.

Before anyone could blink, someone plucked the toddler out of the headmaster’s arms and said, “Oh my, such a fussy little beastie, aren’t you?” A soft pink glow emanated from the speaker’s chest, the pulsing light and quiet thrum quickly calming the confused toddler as they stared, sniffling and whimpering. “There now, isn’t that much better?” Lilia uttered, the bat-like wings unfurling from his back and curving around to create a ‘hood’ shielding them from view and allowing the glow to brighten.

With the child now calm and the chaos seemingly under control, Crowley heaved a tired sigh and muttered, “Unbelievable…never in all my years as headmaster has there ever been such a grievous error in the student selection process! I can only begin to imagine the lawsuit…we must return them to their guardians right this instant!”

And yet the Dark Mirror proclaimed that the child’s home didn’t exist—nor should they even exist. This fact soon became clear as Lilia began examining them closer. “Hmm…no claws or talons,” he muttered as he flexed their hand and their foot. “And no fangs or forked tongue…and no horns.” Tilting his head, he asked, “What is your name, little one?”

“…Yuu…”

/////

With no way to send the child home and feeling it wouldn’t be safe to have them outside school grounds, Crowley felt it would be best to keep Yuu under his care. Instead of setting them up at Ramshackle though, Yuu took turns being watched over by the staff members to ensure they had consistent guardianship (especially when research institutions came knocking on their door). Can this school come together to raise a child? Or will it prove to be too difficult a challenge? (And will anyone be spared from the toddler cuteness?)

[unmotivated-cosmere-nerd]

Blake could never fly.

In a lot of stories, learning to fly is often an incredible moment of self actualization and freedom, but in pact the ability to fly is granted to Blake because he needs to fight a dragon, and it's a solution. For a character who has romanticised and envied birds for there freedom, Blake's wings feel practical not emotional and he only gets that back when all that he is is taken away.

More interestingly is that Blake constantly turns down the ability to fly(you fools), he goes back to the police for Evan, back to the tower for Rose, and back to Ur despite having no obligation to face it again.

And in Isadora's interlude we find out why:

The Fool in the Tarot deck frequently depicted a boy with a dog at his heels, staring at the sky while he walked blithely off a cliff, burdened only by a bundle on a stick.  The diabolist had admitted a relationship to the card.

No single detail was quite right, but much as something might appear similar if one were to unfocus their vision…

The young diabolist walked with the sparrow at his shoulder, eyes on the windows without looking through the windows, walking forward as if he were afraid to stop.  His burden here was the gas containers.

No, he was burdened not just by the gas containers, but by some notion of responsibility.

A man, when facing death, aspires to finish what he started.

What had the custodian of the Thorburn estate started?  What drove him?

She knew he sought to do good and to vanquish evil, and she could surmise that both good acts and the existence of evil had touched him deeply.

The Fool card was akin to the ace.  Depending on the game being played, it was often the lowest card or the highest.  Valueless or highly valued.  Powerless or powerful.

It all depended on context.  He sought to kill the demon, and he would either catastrophically fail or succeed.

This Fool sought to slay the metaphorical dragon.  He felt his own mortality, which was quite possibly her fault, in part, and now he rushed to finish the task he’d set for himself.  To better the world.

The Fool was wrought with air – the clouds he gazed at, the void beyond the cliff, the feather in his cap, even the dog could often be found mid-step, bounding, just above the ground.

He was a Fool wrought with a different element.  The familiar didn’t quite fit for the departure from the air, but the traditional dog didn’t conjure ideas of air right off the bat either.

What was he wrought with?  That was another question that begged an answer.

For so many characters in fiction flight represents some level of ascension(haha) often this is being free, of some fear or restriction, but also rising above others, making them small in comparison to you, to fly you must sever yourself from earthly tethers and part of the reason flight is so special is because everyone else is on earth. 

So why can’t Blake Fly? It is because he carries a burden and it weighs him down. As Isadora says, he was touched by a great evil. The Evil has left him with a desire to be free, to get away to never be pinned down (He probably associates birds with a freedom from his trauma), but he was also touched by great good, Alexis has inspired him to make the world “better for having him in it” and that takes precedent. That's why he bonds with Evan,  that's why he goes back for Rose, that's why he faces down something worse most practioners wouldn’t face in their entire career

I’m sitting this one out.  I’ve earned a break.  I’m going to use that break to do some reading I’ve fallen behind on, I’m going to look after my circle, and when that’s done, when I feel ready, I’m going back to the factory.”

Blake Turns down a chance for freedom and safety, to do what is right, even if it isn’t Right.

So that leaves us with a question, what element is Blake wrought with? And I think the answer is Earth. In Pale we learn that the astrological symbol for earth means to be a part of reality, to be brought down to the rules and laws all must follow. Flying puts one above the world, made apart from it and Blake’s mission is to make the world better for having him in it and so he must be a part of the world he cannot be apart from it. (Also Evan is dead, and his corpse will be buried, hence his connection to Earth).

In conclusion I think the reason Blake can’t fly is because he must be part if it if he wants to make it better and that responsibility will keep as a part of the earth until there is no Blake Thorburn left, and I think that's beautiful

[rainy-day-coffee]

hi... how about head cannons about the dorm leaders with a magical girl mc from either the puella magi magica madoka, magical girl site, magical girl raising project or princess tutu universe please?

I'll be doing Magical Girl Raising Project for this one! I’ll be using the abilities found in the anime since I’m not creative enough to think of any myself. The personalities of the characters themselves have nothing to do with the abilities I chose, they’re their own person! This is written as platonic! I hope this is alright!

As an extra note, this was a really interesting topic to write about. I enjoyed it! I actually just binge watched this anime for this request! It was quite good, I might pick up the light novels!

Warning: Mild mentions of gore; spoilers for Magical Girl Raising Project(?)

Dorm leaders reacting to a Magical Girl Mc

A new game has been released! Customize your own Magical Girl and work hard to defeat monsters!

Granted a 1-in-10,000 chance to be a real-life Magical Girl, the unfortunate souls who agree to the contract are unknowingly pulled into a world of bloodshed. All Magical Girls are expected to collect Magical candies through acts of helpfulness. Whomever is at the bottom of the ranking list by the end of the week is greeted by death. That is, if they can even make it that far.

Magic: Swimming through objects as if they were water - the objects do not affect the user as they pass through them.

He’s never heard of an ability quite like yours! It isn’t teleportation--it’s literally going through objects, ignoring any kind of barrier. It sounds impossible. Understandably, he doesn’t believe you until you show him.

Please refrain from popping out of random places in an attempt to scare him. He doesn’t want to be on edge everyday, the stress he has now is more than enough.

He’s curious about the whole situation. Just how and why did these “people” wrap you (and others) into such a terrible contract? How is it possible to grant these special abilities onto otherwise magicless people? Unfortunately, you most likely don’t have answers for those questions.

Sadly, Riddle doesn’t know of a way to help you out of this. The library may have some information, but the chances are slim nonetheless. He can offer assistance in candy collecting instead!

Something always seems to be going on at his dorm, it would help him greatly if you were to keep an eye on everything and everyone. He knows it isn’t much, but every little bit counts. You have his full support.

Magic: Entering the dreams of others - the ability to pass through the Dream World, granting access to the dreams of those who are currently sleeping.

He’s extremely annoyed. He doesn’t understand what’s happening. He’s only seen you a couple times before, so why do you seem to plague all of his dreams?

In his dreams, you move so vividly and in-character, it baffles him. Dream versions of people can be accurate, but never to such an extent each time. He’ll confront you about it soon enough. He has no evidence of what you’re doing, however vivid memories of dream-you push him to demand answers anyways.

Highly uncomfortable to know his dreams, his usual safe place, can be invaded by a person. He demands that you stop. You can go bother someone else, he doesn’t need that kind of help. If he sees you in there one more time, he may have to resort to other methods to get you to stop.

In regards to earning candies, unless you ask him specifically for help, there isn’t much he can do. You can always help Ruggie out with chores around Savanaclaw and you’ll be set. It’s a good deal for both sides, you can earn some candies and Leona can finally sleep comfortably again.

He finds the system you’re stuck in deplorable. Unfortunately, he can’t get you out of it, but if you ever need extra help he can always have Ruggie find one or two ways to get you those extra candies you need.

Magic: Hearing the thoughts of those in need - with enough training, the user can pinpoint the location of a person. Additionally, they can hear thoughts apart from cries for help.

Your special magic interests him greatly. He already has a good pool of information of all the students, but being able to hear their most inner thoughts is something truly amazing. No amount of research could easily give him those kinds of details.

He has the twins watch over you for a bit, gathering as much information as they can about your situation and what you go about doing.

Given the circumstances, he doubts he can rob this ability of yours through a contract. This does however present an amazing opportunity.

This could blossom into a wonderful partnership. You need to collect candies, and he’s always willing to accept requests from those “poor” souls who need help. By helping him, you can meet your quota! The rules never did mention what kind of help you were limited to offer after all.

He pities you, nothing can be done about your situation at the moment. You can rest assured though, you’ll never be at the bottom of the leaderboard with him around!

When time allows it, Floyd and Jade will be busy poking their noses where they don’t belong. The mascot that appears when you’re around seems to come from that phone you use. If they can see it, then that means these beings have made a mistake somehow. Is it possible to find a way to free you from this through that?

Magic: Transforming into any biologically living being - the size and shape of the creature do not matter, anything is fair game.

When he first discovers your special magic, he’ll be amazed! Transformation magic isn’t exactly easy, so being able to turn into whatever creature you want sounds like a lot of fun!

He’ll be begging you to turn into a wide variety of animals. Can you please turn into a tiger? How about an elephant? Maybe an alpaca? This could go on for hours if you don’t stop him.

Upon learning the darker side of the Magical Girl world, he starts to cry. He knows the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but this is too cruel. You didn’t know you would suffer this way. They should have at least given you all the information beforehand. Better yet, they shouldn’t be doing something so awful in the first place.

Because he finds it hard to keep secrets from Jamil, he ends up telling him about you. He then needs to convince Jamil that you aren’t trying to get him killed.

He goes around asking if people need help. He wants to do everything he can to ensure you survive. Money can’t get you out of this game, he’s tried to use it but that mascot that follows you around always refuses it.

Kalim doesn’t want you to die. Just thinking about it makes his head spin and worry bubble. It wouldn’t be his fault if you died in the first place, but the guilt would consume him entirely.

Magic: Freely manipulating sound - the user can generate sound from anywhere and even recreate the voices of others. As an added result of this ability, the user has enhanced hearing.

Vil won’t forgive you if you decide to mimic Epel’s voice so he can escape. He may be evading his lessons for now, but Vil will find a way to drill them into him later on.

He never would have thought such a thing was possible. This terrible fate you’ve had forced onto you makes no sense. The beautiful power you’ve been given is nothing compared to the price. He doesn’t blame you, he blames whatever is doing this. 

If such a game exists in the world of Twisted Wonderland, he’ll use his influence to dissuade people from playing. Vil will do this behind the scenes of course, his public image has to remain intact.

He actively requests your assistance. For example, helping his dorm improve their instrument playing--your impressive hearing can detect small mistakes they need to work on. Apart from this, he regrettably can’t offer more help.

Hone your abilities and work with what you have. He knows you can prevail. Please take care of yourself as you move forward.

Magic: Receiving one futuristic tool a day - the ability to randomly pick one useful tool out of 444,444,444. The tool breaks down and is no longer of use after a day passes.

He’s in awe. A real life Magical Girl! To think they could really exist outside of anime! Just what kind of world did you come from? Forget living in a world where magic is common, Magical Girls are on a different level entirely! Curiosity gnaws at him, but given how shy he is he won’t approach you with questions himself. Ortho is more than happy to ask any questions for him in his place though!

Once he finds out you’re one of those Magical Girls, he feels a tad sympathetic. You really got the short end of the stick in life didn’t you? He knew the possibility was there, that trope is not uncommon, but a small piece of him wished it wasn’t the case.

He supposes your special magic can be compared to gacha luck. You never really know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, in your case you can’t even calculate rates for good rolls.

If you’re willing to let him, he’ll happily take apart the tools and gadgets you get from your daily pull. One of those future items should help him create even better machines than he can now! And even they can’t, disassembling and reassembling objects he’s never seen is a thrill in and of itself

If you happen to hear a small tip from Ortho or someone else about an issue occurring around campus, it may or may not have been Idia. He has eyes all around the school, spotting problems is quite easy.

He’ll be rooting for you from the sidelines. You’re a protagonist in this story, he hopes you can make it through to the end.

Magic: Extreme regeneration - being able to recover from any wound so long as a portion of the user’s body is left.

Mortified when he finds your body all mangled and bruised after a rough “accident.” Malleus is ready to destroy whoever or whatever did this to you. He cares about you greatly, the very thought of seeing you in such a state makes his stomach churn and pure rage wash over him.

Once you explain your situation, he can grasp enough to understand the major gist of it. He doesn’t quite know what a “Magical Girl” is but obviously it isn’t something good. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in such a terrible situation.

To know that you can take care of yourself in the face of danger, makes him relieved. Although he doesn’t like the idea of you getting hurt at all, a healing ability is always wonderful to possess.

While you earn candies, Malleus will be working on a way to free you.

Even if these beings who granted you this ability are “all-powerful,” his magical capabilities are among the top in all the world. Perhaps, he can start by politely asking for answers from the leader of this group. If that seems to fail, killing off that mascot seems like a good place to start instead.